I will protect you now
by chris-daae
Summary: Based on a prompt from tumblr: "Come here, you need a hug" Meg observed the objects in front of her: a music box, his mask, and the ring he always wore. Everyone saw it when he gave it to Christine. Where were them now? Why did they leave it behind? [Guardian Angel series]


"I'm sure there was a man! We all saw him!"

"But Andre, this place is clearly empty!"

"But look at all these candles! Someone was here! And what about Ms. Daaé?"

Meg stopped listening. It was not like they could answer any of her questions. Instead, she observed the objects in front of her: a music box, his mask, and the ring he always wore. Everyone saw it when he gave it to Christine. Where were them now? Why did they leave it behind?

A gentle hand squeezed her shoulder.

"Someone needs to guide all these people back up.", said her mother. Her face showed worry and a bit of fear and sadness. She was certainly asking herself the same questions as Meg.

"I… I would like to stay a little longer.", Meg whispered in reply. "Maybe I can find some clue of where they are."

Madame Giry nodded.

"I will make sure no one notices."

She walked back to the group that followed underground in pursuit of the ghost. Most looked around in both curiosity and fear, while the managers seemed to argue about refunds. In a firm and sure voice, Madame Giry started assuring them that they would do better if they went back, that Christine was probably already there, and that there must have been some big misunderstanding. Andre and Firmin were more than happy to leave that claustrophobic place, and most of the staff and cast members that were there also didn't want to disturb _his_ domain much longer.

They all went down certain that the Phantom was nothing more than a man, and that gave them courage. Arriving in that surreal lair and finding it empty, their superstitions came back as if they never left, and no one wanted to face such a powerful and evil spirit like that.

Meg looked around, looking for any clue of what happened in there and of where they could be now. On the floor, a little away from where she stood, she saw the cord. She approached and kneeled down. There were burn marks on its end.

What did he do?

When the mob seemed to be far enough, Meg started calling:

"Christine! Monsieur Vicomte!"

There was no answer. She feared the worst.

"Erik! Where are you?"

Still no answer. However, she heard a faint sound. She followed it, arriving at the door of a small and dark room. Inside, sitting against the wall, was him, curled up with a thin and white object between his arms, crying. The light that came from outside was faint, so she couldn't see much but there was no mistake that it was him.

Meg has never seen him looking so weak, so vulnerable.

"Erik.", she called in a low voice.

He moved, and Meg could clearly see the glow of his eyes for a moment, before he turned his back to her. She walked a step closer.

"Erik. Where is Christine?"

"She left.", Erik replied. He sounded completely broken. "With the Vicomte."

"You let them go?", Meg couldn't hide her surprise. Of course, she hoped things could end so easily, but part of her feared that it would not be without blood.

Erik stood up, dropping the object he held, and Meg could see again his amber eyes. In the darkness she could only make out a bit of his features, and she would be lying if she said she was not thankful for it.

"What else could I have done?", he answered, trying to hide a sob.

Meg took another step towards him, and reached her arm to him, but he took a step behind, hiding more into the darkness.

"You brought them here.", he said in an accusing voice, seeming to have just realized it.

"I tried to stop them!", Meg argued. "But I couldn't! You killed a man, Erik!"

Erik grew silent for a few seconds.

"I-I didn't mean to. I was only going to restrain here. But he wouldn't stop struggling! I really didn't mean to. I-"

Meg only listened, silent. Was he telling the truth? She couldn't know.

"I promised I would stop.", he continued. "I would stop. But he- they... They would kill me, Meg!"

Meg knew they had a reason for it, but she didn't say it. Instead, she approached Erik and slowly raised her hand to his shoulder, in what she hoped to be a comforting touch. He didn't reject it.

"Christine will be okay.", he said, and Meg knew he was crying again. "She's with him. He loves her."

"I know.", Meg answered. She softly moved her fingers, caressing his arm. How weird did it feel to be the one comforting him.

When she was younger, it was Erik who came to comfort her, after whatever silly happening that made her cry. Her mother took a while to reveal the truth to her, so for some time, just like Christine, she did believe that he was a kind spirit that protected her.

"She would stay, Meg.", Erik continued. "She loves him so much, that for him she would even stay with me."

"What are you going to do now?", Meg continued, not knowing what else to say. Christine was really something else.

"I can't stay here. They will find me."

"No one will find you if you don't want them to."

They both knew it was true.

"I can't. I can't stand this anymore! I can't."

Meg didn't think before doing it, she did it out of pure instinct. Her arms wrapped around Erik.

"You can stay with us.", her voice was just a whisper. "I know mother won't complain."

Erik froze for a second.

"I can't. I can't give her such a trouble."

"Just until you figure out what to do. We will protect you."

Meg held him a bit tighter, as if Erik would run away if she let go of him. Maybe he would.

Erik stared at her for a moment, not knowing what to do or say. His whole world view has been shaken this day, and for the first time he had felt that he was just as bad as people have always judged him to be.

He could have been shot. He could have been arrested, or beaten up by the angry mob, or have been rejected and humiliated, or all of it. Instead, for the first time he received kindness, first from Christine, now from Meg.

His arms were shaking as he raised them, and slowly wrapped them around Meg's small body. Erik couldn't barely find his voice to mutter a single phrase:

"Thank you."


End file.
